Commentary on the Politics, History and Culture of the Middle East and Central Asia, by Brian Ulrich

Friday, April 14, 2006

Casablanca's Slums

I've seen these slums. I felt worn down just going by them on the train:

"Hidden from the road behind a high concrete wall, the jumble of iron-roofed shacks bakes under a relentless midday sun.

"Women chatter as they queue for water and a welding torch briefly lights up a nearby workshop.

"Smoke drifts across open spaces where young boys squat, sniffing glue from plastic bags.

"Time is the only luxury in the shanty towns scattered across Morocco's economic capital, Casablanca.

"Once a small coastal settlement before becoming a major port under the French protectorate in the first half of the 20th century, "Casa" has mushroomed into a sprawling conurbation.

"Its population has grown to more than 3 million as it has absorbed waves of migrants trying to escape poverty in the countryside.

"Public services have struggled to keep pace with the growth and the names given to some of the suburbs Chechnya, Dallas, The Guts reflect their haphazard beginnings and the dark humour of the inhabitants."

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About Me

I am an Associate Professor in History at Shippensburg University, where I teach courses in Middle Eastern and world history. My two major research areas are the Middle East from the 7th through 10th centuries and the Persian Gulf from ancient times to the present. Nothing on this site represents an official position of Shippensburg University.